Took me awhile to get to this, but just finished listening to this with my son. And we both liked it! Black Panther stories seem to capture his imagination and it was very fun!

Another T'Challa book!!!! Yes!!! I love this series.

In this novel, T'Challa is reunited with Shelia and Zeke. This time, they came to visit him for the first time in Wakanda. It's magical. T'Challa gets to show them all around his home and play with new technology (the speed bike scene is great!). Shuri is so proud of herself for pulling off this surprise for her big brother!

But there's discord brewing inWakanda and some don't think the Black Panther is meant to be the one true ruler of the lands and that the Originators should return. On a National Holiday, the fraction strikes - absconding with all the elders of Wakanda (included T'Challa's parents).

Can T'Challa and his friends defeat the Originators and save the elders? Or is history doomed to repeat? Read on to find out.

What I loved:
Action Packed
Friendship and family > than everything else
The old customs clashing with new traditions

In the eager wait for Black Panther 2 "Wakanda Forever" we are left with reading anything we can get our hands on. This was a wonderful read and the narrator was sensational. This quick audio satiated what we eagerly wait for the movie to come out.

This story and the narrator keep a very fast pace tone but an easy-to-follow storyline. It deals with T’Challa integrating himself in the “new” world (outside of Wakanda) but of course, trouble is brewing back in Wakanda. It is wonderful to see how he navigates and why he is the right person to lead Wakanda.

Thirteen-year-old T'Challa is still learning how to become the leader he will someday become. His step mother, Ramonda, and his father finally allowed him to live away from the palace to feel some normalcy. As he visits the school and kids his own age, one of the kids, Tafari, asks lots of questions about why the country needs vibranium whereas other poor surrounding countries are so poor and declared, how as a nation, they are losing touch with the history of the nation. T’Challa was not prepared for that and was not comfortable with public speaking. As T'Challa was leaving the classroom, he can almost feel Tafari's eyes boring into T'Challa's back. Is there more to Tafari than his questions? Is there truth to Tafari's statements?

T’Challa’s best friends Zeke and Sheila from Alabama are also included in this book from the previous book, “Spellbound.”

The big bad here is Tafari. He uses alternate dimensions and black magic to get what he thinks is right but the question remains, “is it?” Was the Vibranium a blessing or a curse for Wakanda? While it is geared for ages 8 - 12 years, I believe anyone who is a fan of T’Challa and his early days (the Young Panther series) will enjoy this series. I look forward to many more.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for this wonderful e-audio in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC audiobook.


Description from NetGalley:
When T’Challa gets special permission to have his friends from America, Sheila and Zeke, come to Wakanda, he can’t wait to show them his home for a change. But their tour is brought to a halt when one of T’Challa’s peers, Tafari, summons dark forces in order to return Wakanda to the “old ways” before Vibranium was discovered. Tafari manages to banish the King and Queen along with all the tribal elders to an alternate dimension in exchange for the Originator’s release, leaving Wakanda vulnerable and unprotected.

Can T’Challa and his friends stop Tafari before the leaders of Wakanda are trapped forever?

This is the 3rd book in this middle grade Black Panther series. I enjoyed this one as much as the previous installment. The shift from the US to Wakanda was a nice change of pace, especially because Sheila and Zeke get to visit their friend instead of T’Challa coming to them. In this book, it is nice to see T’Challa maturing a bit and having to be in charge and take the lead of Wakanda. It was like a preview of the king he is on his way to becoming.

Overall: 4/5

My family's appetite for audio books is nearly insatiable but we are always thrilled to welcome a strong, new series into our library. This book was an immediate hit and we were thrilled to discover that it is part of a series. Not only were we rapt as we listened, but we immediately backtracked to the first in the series. I have no doubt that we will anticipate new releases as we have with Wings of Fire and other mature, dramatic children's series. Thanks very much for access to the advance copy.